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Research Portfolio

- Nts'aba, Likengkeng

Authors: Nts'aba, Likengkeng
Date: 2000
Subjects: School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School board members -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Decision making , Education -- Political aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
Identifier: vital:2051 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018259
Description: The move towards greater democracy and participation in our education system is legislated quite succinctly in our South African Schools Act. The Act furthermore, and more importantly for this case study, posits that decision-making should be democratic in nature and our schools should eventually become governed in a collaborative and co-operative manner. Other policy texts such as the Labour Relations Act and the South African Constitution canonise the demand for a democratic South African society. This study investigates how democratic decision-making practices are taking place in an East London Secondary School namely Ebenezer Majombozi High. Even though distinct links exist between management and governance arms of schools, this study concentrates predominantly on decision-making within the school governing body and touches briefly on management thinking trends as a theoretical background to the kind of management at the school. What makes the school interesting as a case study is its rich history and its location in a deprived and impoverished township environment. The school was also part of the ex-Department of Education and Training, the black educational department of the past apartheid state. The kind of research undertaken was in the form of unstructured personal :interviews with influential stakeholders at the school. Some of these stakeholders fonn part of the school governing body and the questions asked probed forms of governance at the school and how decision-making impacted on the overall school governance. The research fmdings acknowledges that decision-making does occur democratically at the school but that the practical implementation of positive consensual decisions are rarely realized. The school governing body only meets to deal with crises underpinned by a lack of learning and teaching and has not even debated the policies within the South African Schools Act. The study also argues that only by building capacity within the school and empowering the stakeholders, can constructive participation by all become a reality.
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Research Projects Portfolio.

- Schudel, Ingrid Joan

Authors: Schudel, Ingrid Joan
Date: 2000
Subjects: Environmental education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
Identifier: vital:2015 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016368
Description: This collection of research projects tells a story of the time I have spent with members of the Albany Working for Water team; including preparations made, lessons learned and insights gained. My first project was to analyse the methodology of a research paper. I chose the paper by Arjen Wals because I intended, like him, to examine people's perceptions of environmental issues. From this paper I gained ideas for a qualitative research process and learnt the importance of theoretical and methodological consistency. My next project was to present a report on my research into the perceptions of workrelated environmental issues among the Albany Working for Water workers. From this research I gained insight into the knowledge of the workers and also some of the misconceptions that they have about social and ecological issues. I made educational recommendations based on these insights. This experience inspired me to initiate a play with a group of the workers about alien plant eradication. The process of developing this play formed the basis for a research paper that I have submitted as another research project. Concurrent with the development of the play, I conducted a fourth research project that was a situational analysis of the Albany Workingfor Water Project. I hoped that this analysis would provide useful insight into the context of the above two projects. Overall, I hope the story reflects how I have grown through the learning experiences I shared with the Albany Working for Water team. I would like to extend to my thanks to all those who assisted and shared my journey with me.
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Review of policies and legislation influencing the sustainable use of South Africa's indigenous Woodlands

- Willis, Carla B, Geach, Bev S, Versfeld, Dirk, Shackleton, Charlie M

Authors: Willis, Carla B , Geach, Bev S , Versfeld, Dirk , Shackleton, Charlie M
Date: 2000
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182810 , vital:43881 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/AJA10231765_60"
Description: The recent completion of the South African National Land-Cover Database and the Vegetation Map of South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho, allows for the first time a comparison to be made on a national scale between the current and potential distribution of 'natural' vegetation resources. This article compares the distribution and location of woodland-type vegetation categories defined within the National Land-Cover data and the equivalent 'Savanna-thicket Biomes' class defined within the Vegetation Mapdata. Significant differences were found, both in terms of the total areal extent, as well as the actual spatial distribution of these two data sets. These differences are a measure of the inherent mapping accuracies of each source, but rather an illustration of boundary delineation distinctions that are a result of different data sources, mapping objectives and information classes, that must be noted when comparing two essentially similar information sets.
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Road culture : an investigation of the road as a means of mental and physical exploration

- Meistre, Brent Arthur

Authors: Meistre, Brent Arthur
Date: 2000
Subjects: Roads in art , Travel in art , Travel -- Psychological aspects , Travelers -- Psychology
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MFA
Identifier: vital:2414 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002210 , Roads in art , Travel in art , Travel -- Psychological aspects , Travelers -- Psychology
Description: Chapter one considers various manifestations of the concept of ‘journey’ and how they have changed over history. The Odyssean journey that the hero undertakes to reach a point of self-realisation is investigated. This leads to a other discussion of types of journeys such as pilgrimages, as well as ‘wandering’. These are contrasted with the twentieth century perceptions of journey. Questions of travel are then dealt with: how the nature of the traveller's path has changed over the centuries, various points of travel and gender, and how in the last century solitary travel has been transformed into mass tourism. The second chapter deals specifically with the motorcar, the mobility it enables and how it has led to the rise of a roadside culture. Different factors that influenced the rise of the motorcar are looked at. The motorcar as a cell and eroticism and the car are also investigated. The twentieth century city, it's restructuring, as well as the highway systems is discussed. In Chapter Three, the sense of freedom that the motorcar created is considered in particular reference to escape, aimlessness, and road weariness, as well as the landscape as a symbol of freedom. This leads to a discussion on the notion of speed, the sense of power and the romanticisation of death in car crashes. Chapter Four investigates masculinity and the road. The frontier as a place in the psyche of the male is also dealt with. The road as a means of testing and regaining masculinity in the mid-twentieth century is considered. Issues of the male domination of the land and the feminine are discussed, with the chapter ending with a brief examination of the woman as traveller. Lastly the masters’ submission exhibition, entitled RODE is discussed with direct reference to the theories investigated in the previous chapters. Individual works as well as the methodology are looked at closely.
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Rural self-reliance strategies in South Africa : community initiatives and external support in the former black homelands

- Nel, Etienne L, Binns, Tony

Authors: Nel, Etienne L , Binns, Tony
Date: 2000
Language: English
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6716 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006789
Description: This paper examines the relevance of the concept of self-reliance in the context of rural community economic development in South Africa. Whilst changing global and local circumstances oblige impoverished communities to become more pro-active in the enhancement of the quality of their lives, they nevertheless cannot ignore basic market forces and the need for an appropriate level of external assistance. Four community-based agricultural ventures in South Africa's former Homelands are examined. A comparison between the four schemes permits an assessment to be made of what such community ventures require if they are to succeed and have a meaningful impact on job creation and poverty alleviation. The role of external support agencies and access to markets in each case features prominently in the assessment.
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Rural students' local knowledge of learning in formal and informal contexts

- Visser, Alvin-Jon

Authors: Visser, Alvin-Jon
Date: 2000
Subjects: Non-formal education -- South Africa , Education and state -- South Africa , Rural children -- Education -- South Africa , Black people -- Education -- South Africa , Community and school -- South Africa , Education, Rural -- Social Aspects -- South Africa , Rural schools -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:3079 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002588 , Non-formal education -- South Africa , Education and state -- South Africa , Rural children -- Education -- South Africa , Black people -- Education -- South Africa , Community and school -- South Africa , Education, Rural -- Social Aspects -- South Africa , Rural schools -- South Africa
Description: The general aim of this thesis is to illuminate the process of learning as it occurs in formal and informal contexts. The study focuses on South African scholars attending school in rural areas where the contrast between learning in formal and informal learning contexts is more pronounced than that in urban areas. The research draws on rural scholars' local knowledge of formal and informal learning contexts in order to gain a rich insight into how cognition is situated in different learning contexts. This is accomplished through investigating the structure of the respective learning tasks, the mediators involved, the task objectives and the means for achieving these objectives in the different learning contexts. The thesis draws on a socio-cultural approach to the study of cognitive development to probe the activity of learning in a formal and informal learning context. Through the use of a context sensitive methodological methods especially Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools and techniques, it was possible to illuminate tacit local knowledge structures and to get participants to actively explicate their understandings related to learning in different contexts The research results illustrate the assertion that the activity of learning is fundamentally situated in the learning context from which it arises. Learning is framed by the community of practice which structures affordances for situated learning, through mediation, within zones of proximal development. Learning in a formal context such as the school is often abstract, rule-based, standardised and theory related. Learners also find it difficult to reflect on the learning tasks and the mediational means used in a formal learning context. In contrast, the learning which takes place in an informal setting is often practical, individualised, flexible and environment based. This learning is structured around everyday activities and is dynamically defined and supported. In a situation where a learner is exposed to dislocated learning contexts, the essential goal of educational initiatives is to bridge the gap between the two. This can be achieved through mediators creating effective zones of proximal development which facilitate the individuals adaptation between learning contexts. Exposing rural scholars' local knowledge of learning in formal and informal contexts allows for a fuller understanding of the cognitive development structured within formal and informal communities of practice. It is this understanding that is necessary to address the situation where learning contexts, drawing on different knowledge bases find ways of thinking, prove challenging and/or conflicting to the scholar.
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Rural underdevelopment in the former Ciskei with specific reference to Glenmore Village

- Malila, Brett

Authors: Malila, Brett
Date: 2000
Subjects: Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Social conditions , Glenmore (South Africa) -- Economic conditions
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:3288 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003076 , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Social conditions , Glenmore (South Africa) -- Economic conditions
Description: This thesis examines development changes that took place in Glenmore after 1994. To examine such change one needs to have a concise historical understanding of the situation in Glenmore before democracy. The aim of the work is to critique development at a local, rural level, pinpointing the major changes, if any, that came with the incorporation of the former homeland of Ciskei (and thus Glenmore village) with South Africa. These people were forcibly resettled in 1979 for political and economic reasons. Their situation then was one of dire poverty; it is argued here that even with democracy, their history of underdevelopment has continued. The reason for this continued underdevelopment is the structure of the former reserves. The overall political context has changed in South Africa but the most important aspect with regard to the development of the homelands: land, has not. At the central level, the government has churned out a wide variety of development policies, which due to the prevailing political and economic context of the times are fraught with inconsistencies. The example used here to show some of these inconsistencies is the 1997 White Paper on Land Reform. This confusion at the central level with regard to the perceived future of South Africa has managed to adversely affect the rural areas and their development. There very well might be policies in abundance to improve the life-world of the rural poor, but there are inconsistencies between this policy and actual practice. With regard to Glenmore the confusion in the present government’s central development policy is arguably the main reason for the underdevelopment of the village. The inconsistencies in policy such as the 1997 White Paper on Land Reform, have meant that the structure of the reserves has not changed. Vital issues such as land tenure and ownership have not been dealt with. The study thus shows that unless the structure of the homeland system which is predominantly based on issues of land, is changed, genuine social and economic development will not take place in areas like Glenmore.
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SASBO Code of ethics

- SASBO

Authors: SASBO
Date: 2000
Subjects: SASBO
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/160565 , vital:40475
Description: Formed as a trade union in 1916, SASBO's primary objectives are to improve the conditions of service and protect the interests of its members, individually and collectively, in relation to their employers and otherwise, and generally to raise their status. Operating in the South African finance sector, SASBO identifies with the ethics and conventions of finance professionals and has always encouraged sound industrial relations with employers and/or their organisations, with the intention of regulating conflict as peacefully and constructively as possible by endeavouring to settle disputes by conciliatory methods. The union has always been, and continues to be, committed to fair and honest dealings, and integrity, in its interaction with all its stakeholders, this in the fundamental belief that SASBO's operation and business should be conducted honestly, fairly and within the parameters of labour and other laws.
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Searching for new relevance in the 1990s: the Organization of African Unity as an instrument of conflict resolution

- Dlamini, Thandeka Lungile

Authors: Dlamini, Thandeka Lungile
Date: 2000
Subjects: Organization of African Unity , Africa -- Foreign relations , Conflict management -- Africa
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2770 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002980 , Organization of African Unity , Africa -- Foreign relations , Conflict management -- Africa
Description: The 1960's and the 1970's marked a great Pan-African movement in Africa, that saw the liberation of most African states. This Pan-African movement, was spearheaded by a quest to unite Africa, and to abate foreign occupation. Amidst the spirit of unity, lay a promise of an organization that would embody the hopes and aspirations of a continent undergoing a re-birth; a progression towards self-determination, economic development and integration, and the maintenance of peace. Therefore, the inception ofthe Organization of African Unity (OAD) was not only a symbol of a unifying force for Africans, but a diplomatic platform that would promote African needs on the international arena. In effect the OAU, at its inception, was for specific ideals that would guarantee liberation and unity of African states. The outcome of these ideals would be greater regional economic integration and the achievement of peace and stability. These ideals mirrored the structural definition of regional organization, with the inclusion of a Commission for Mediation Arbitration and Conciliation under the OAU Charter, to handle disputes among member states. However, the mere fact that this commission lacked the political wherewithal to resolve conflicts, by its sheer lack of a standing peacekeeping force, contributed to the inefficiency of the organization to play an effective role in conflict management. This study attempts to examine the role ofthe OAU in settling disputes. The study sought to accomplish this, in the following manner. Firstly, an investigation into the nature of conflict and why it persists in Africa was conducted. Further, an examination ofthe tools that practitioners utilize not only to study conflict, but to prevent, manage and resolve it, was done. During the investigation it was found that, although the OAU's greatest successes have come from preventive diplomacy, its structural foundations limit the capabilities of the organization to become more relevant. The Charter of the OAU alludes vaguely to the settlement of disputes, but without an executive political decision-making body able to deploy peacekeepers, its principles are largely meaningless. Amidst the growing concerns, the OAU as a matter of survival, developed initiatives it hopes will make it more effective and relevant. The focus ofthe study was the evolving role ofthe OAU, from its inception to its new role as an instrument of conflict resolution. Most of the scholarly work conducted on the OAU, is concerned with depicting a terminal organization, with little or no hope of surviving. Little emphasis is placed on prescribing remedies on how to improve and restructure the organization. The findings included, inter alia, that the organization is faced with enormous challenges, as the sources of conflict are varied and complex. Africa is now the landscape of collapsed states, economic stagnation, environmental degradation, disease and chronic conflicts. The OAU shoulders much ofthe responsibility for not sanctioning governments that contribute to the decay and suffering of the African peoples. Most ofthe criticism of the OAU, stem from the inability of the organization to play an effective role in resolving conflicts in Africa. Most of Africa's conflicts stem from a lack of political legitimacy, lack of democratic institutions, uneven distribution of resources, ethnic tensions and economic stagnation. Until such problems are addressed, Africa will continue to host the world's deadliest conflicts.
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Serotonin-melatonin interactions in acetaminophen and N,N-dimethylformamide toxicity

- Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

Authors: Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra
Date: 2000
Subjects: Serotonin , Acetaminophen , Melatonin
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
Identifier: vital:3898 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003957 , Serotonin , Acetaminophen , Melatonin
Description: Acetaminophen and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) are compounds which are extremely toxic to the liver. Acetaminophen is a drug which is well known for its analgesic and antipyretic properties. However, the abuse potential of this agent as a non-narcotic analgesic in alcoholics is well known. It is also the leading cause of overdose in England. DMF toxicity results mainly from occupational exposure. At present there are no known reports of an antidote for DMF poisoning, while N-acetylcysteine, the antidote for acetaminophen poisoning, is known to produce adverse effects. The present study evaluates the potential of melatonin as an antidote for acetaminophen and DMF poisoning. This study also investigates the mechanism underlying acetaminophen addiction and abuse. Initial studies involved in vitro techniques in an attempt to remove the complexities of organ interactions. The photodegradation studies, using ultraviolet (UV) light, revealed that melatonin accelerates the rate of acetaminophen degradation in the presence of air, and reduces the rate of degradation in the presence of nitrogen. This study also revealed that melatonin is rapidly degraded in the presence of air, following UV irradiation. The effect of DMF on hydroxyl radical generation was also determined. DMF was shown to act as a free radical scavenger, rather that a generator of free radicals. The in vitro studies were followed by lipid peroxidation determination. DMF (0.4ml/kg and 0.8ml/kg) did not produce any significant increases in lipid peroxidation in the liver. Three different doses of acetaminophen (30mg/kg, 100mg/kg, and 500mg/kg) were administered to rats for seven days. Acetaminophen (500mg/kg) was shown to significantly increase (p<0.05) lipid peroxidation in the liver. Melatonin (2.5mg/kg) was not able to significantly reduce the damage. The lower doses of acetaminophen (30mg/kg and 100mg/kg) did not increase lipid peroxidation. Electron microscopy studies showed that DMF adversely affects the liver, and in particular, the endoplasmic reticulum. Co administration of melatonin (2.5mg/kg) was able to reduce the damage. Further experiments need to be performed before an accurate assessment can be made on the ability of melatonin as an antidote for DMF and acetaminophen poisoning. Several experiments were done in an attempt to uncover the biochemical mechanism underlying acetaminophen addiction and abuse. The first experiment targeted the liver enzyme tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO). This enzyme is the major determinant of tryptophan levels in vivo. Acetaminophen administration (100mg/kg for three hours) was shown to significantly inhibit (p<0.05) the activity of TDO, indicating increased peripheral levels of tryptophan. This experiment was followed up with determination of brain serotonin and pineal melatonin. Brain serotonin was determined using the ELISA technique. Melatonin was estimated using this technique as well as with pineal organ culture. Acetaminophen administration (100mg/kg for three hours) significantly increased (p<0.05) brain serotonin levels. Using organ culture where exogenous (3H) tryptophan is metabolised to (3H) melatonin, acetaminophen (100mg/kg for three hours) was shown to significantly increase (p<0.05) pineal melatonin concentrations. However, the ELISA technique did not reveal any changes in endogenous pineal melatonin levels. The final experiment was the determination of urinary 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5- HIAA), the major metabolite of serotonin, following acetaminophen administration (100mg/kg for three hours). Acetaminophen was shown to significantly reduce 5-HIAA levels (p<0.05) suggesting reduced catabolism of serotonin. The findings of this study indicate that acetaminophen mimics the actions of an antidepressant. This compelling finding has important clinical implications, and needs to be examined further.
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Settler women's experiences of fear, illness and isolation, with particular reference to the Eastern Cape Frontier, 1820-1890

- Dampier, Helen

Authors: Dampier, Helen
Date: 2000
Subjects: Women -- South Africa -- History , Women -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Social conditions , Women -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- History , British settlers of 1820 (South Africa) , Frontier and pioneer life -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2537 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002389 , Women -- South Africa -- History , Women -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Social conditions , Women -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- History , British settlers of 1820 (South Africa) , Frontier and pioneer life -- South Africa
Description: This thesis is an exploration of diaries and letters written by middle-class English-speaking settler women living on the Eastern Cape frontier between 1820 and 1890. By according primacy to these women’s experiences and perceptions, it aims for a greater understanding of women’s encounters with the frontier, and how these were articulated in their personal writing. An emphasis on the recurrent themes of ill-health, fearfulness and solitude undermines the popular myth of the brave, conquering, invincible pioneers which dominates settler historiography to date. The tensions felt by white women living on the frontier disrupted their identities as middle-class Victorian ‘ladies’, and as a result these women either constantly re-established a sense of self, or absorbed some aspects of the Eastern Cape, and thus redefined themselves. Settler women’s experiences of the frontier changed little during the seventy year period spanned by this study, indicating that frontier life led to a rigidification and reinforcement of old, familiar values and behaviours. Rather than adapting to and embracing their new surroundings, settler women sought to duplicate accepted, conventional Victorian ideals and customs. White Victorian women identified themselves as refined, civilized, moral and respectable, and perceived Africa and Africans as untamed, immoral, uncivilized and threatening. To keep these menacing, destabilizing forces at bay, settler women attempted to recreate ‘home’ in the Eastern Cape; to domesticate the frontier by rendering it as familiar and predictable as possible. The fear, illness and solitariness that characterise settler women’s personal writings manifest their attempts to eliminate alienating difference, and record their refusal to truly engage with the frontier landscape and its inhabitants.
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Social change and shifting paradigms: the choice of healer among black South Africans in psychological counselling

- Johnson, Alexandra Blythe

Authors: Johnson, Alexandra Blythe
Date: 2000
Subjects: Healers -- South Africa , Psychotherapy Cross-cultural studies , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2998 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002507 , Healers -- South Africa , Psychotherapy Cross-cultural studies , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology
Description: Social change in South Africa brings to light the multiplicity of world-views operating in our society, which individuals encountering a variety of social contexts are faced with. This raises questions about the choices black South Africans face in response to influences from Western and traditional African culture. This issue was approached through examining helpseeking choices made between different health care sectors that stem from different world-views. This would indicate whether individuals are drawing on a variety of belief systems. The sources of their beliefs are put into context by looking at the communities of practice that influence their local knowledge. Help-seeking is also influenced by the identities the individual may ascribe to, which are derived from the multiple positions held by them in different social contexts. In this research the use of health-care sectors by four black women attending psychotherapy is examined. Their use of these sectors reflects a potential multiplicity of world views. Semistructured interviews were conducted, focusing on participants' prior experience of different help options, and their current perceptions of traditional African healing and psychology. The texts were analysed using a qualitative hermeneutic method, the reading guide. Data was looked at through three main themes, the individual's relationship to the health care sectors, their knowledge of different world views, and the identities they adopted which may be influential in their choice of a healer. It was found that in two participants there was some movement away from traditional beliefs, with one rejecting the traditional healers who did not help her, once she has discovered therapy, and another identifying herself completely with Western medicine. In contrast, one participant illustrated a rediscovery of traditional healing, whilst still attending psychotherapy. This suggests that shifts in knowledge are not necessarily away from traditional beliefs. It was also found that the two participants who had experienced a broader variety of social contexts and identified with multiple belief systems, tended to use a variety of Western and traditional healing sources and selected the healing option they felt was most appropriate to a particular problem. It is argued therefore that having a variety of knowledge and beliefs places individuals in a more powerful position to determine their choice of action than those with a limited range of knowledge.
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Social workers perceptions on unionisation and collective bargaining : an exploratory study of the central region of the Eastern Cape

- Dyakala, Tumeka

Authors: Dyakala, Tumeka
Date: 2000
Subjects: Social workers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Attitudes , Labor unions -- South Africa , Collective bargaining -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
Identifier: vital:695 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006405 , Social workers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Attitudes , Labor unions -- South Africa , Collective bargaining -- South Africa
Description: This study explores primarily the views of social workers in the Central region of the Eastern Cape on unionisation and collective bargaining, and at a secondary level the views of their employers and of the trade unions organising social workers, regarding social workers' involvement and non-involvement in these processes. It examines the paradox of compatibility of professionalism and unionism. There are two schools of thought regarding compatibility of professionalism and unionisation one views these concepts as antagonistic whilst the other views these concepts as complementary. Some social workers have been reluctant to participate in trade unions in the past until recently. Reasons advanced for their recent accelerated involvement in trade unions are explored in this study. Social workers views on the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 as the source of the legal framework, within which trade unions and employers interact, through the process of collective bargaining are explored. Proposed alternative mechanisms to these processes as perceived by social workers are closely examined. Semi-structured, self administered questionnaires were distributed to social workers whilst semi-structured interviews were conducted with employer representatives and trade union officials. This helped the researcher to have a broader view of the situation. Findings point to a scenario of disunity of both employers and employees in the social work profession. The study is a pioneering effort in the Central region and sets a way forward for further exploration of this subject. It is hoped that this study will make a worthwhile contribution to the social work profession's industrial relations field
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South Africa's growth, employment and redistribution strategy in the context of structural adjustment programmes in the South

- Lehloesa, Thembinkosi L

Authors: Lehloesa, Thembinkosi L
Date: 2000
Subjects: Growth, Employment And Redistribution Programme (South Africa) , South Africa -- Economic policy , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1989-1994
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2794 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003004 , Growth, Employment And Redistribution Programme (South Africa) , South Africa -- Economic policy , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1989-1994
Description: This study is a contribution to the ongoing debate concerning the future of South Africa’s macro-economic policy known as the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy. The study attempts to draw parallels between the GEAR macro-economic policy framework and structural adjustment programmes in the South. By making use of this comparison, the study argues that the outcome of the GEAR will be no different from structural adjustment programmes in that it will fail to reduce poverty and cause government to meet the basic needs of the people. These conclusions are drawn from the fact that the GEAR policy is premised on the faith that the market is capable of redistributing income and wealth, and providing people with their basic needs.
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Southern African Development Community foreign policy behaviour: the case of trade with external actors

- Tebu, Perminus Waithaka

Authors: Tebu, Perminus Waithaka
Date: 2000
Subjects: Southern African Development Community , International trade , Africa, Southern -- Foreign relations
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2834 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003044 , Southern African Development Community , International trade , Africa, Southern -- Foreign relations
Description: This thesis is structured around two main and interwoven assumptions operating at two levels. On the one level the external dimension of security threat in Southern Africa is assumed to be the most critical factor for regional renewal and stability. It hinges on pertinent regional issues such as negative trade balances, economic dependence, poverty, unemployment, poor economic growth rates and so forth. The corollary of this assumption is that within the operative framework of SADC, Southern African states are assumed capable of effectively integrating their economies through trade and related arrangements with dominant external actors in the highly competitive global economy. The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) are used as the focal points for illumination. A structured interaction between SADC and the EU within a revised North-South framework of interaction is hypothesized and critically examined. On the other hand, SADC-US interactions are assessed within the context of the new US Africa policy. At another level, the assumption is also made that the post-apartheid democratic state possesses both the political will and the wherewithal to provide regiol].al Leadership. This latter assumption is put to test within the framework of South Africa's regional foreign policy. Adopting an explicit regional unit of analysis, the study utilizes international regime theory as the theoretical and conceptual point of departure. The realist conception of the international system and the underlying assumptions usually considered as obstacles to international cooperation are critically examined in the context of the post-Cold War expanded security agenda. Regime theory is used to provide insight on the motivations that lead states to cooperate in situations of mutual dilemma by institutionalizing patterns of interaction at the regional and international systemic levels. Interstate economic relations at these levels are explained as state actions that are influenced by certain norms and that such norm-governed behaviour is wholly consistent with the pursuit of national interest. Application of the theory explains why such foreign policy behaviour of states is particularly relevant in the post-Cold War era. The thesis has argued that SADC states are capable of conducting a coordinated trade foreign policy in which regional positions are elaborated and adopted. It is argued further that a regional capacity to institute trade and economic policies that reflect local circumstances (necessary for effective integration with the world economy) calls for strong regional developmental democracies in the tradition of social market economy. Regional leadership by South Africa is considered indispensable where Sbuth Africa must find a sustainable balance between its national and regional interests.
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Southern African Journal of Gerontology, volume 9, number 1, April 2000

- Ferreira, Monica (editor), Moller, Valerie, HSRC/UCT Centre for Gerontology

Authors: Ferreira, Monica (editor) , Moller, Valerie , HSRC/UCT Centre for Gerontology
Date: 2000
Subjects: Gerontology -- South Africa , Older people -- Care -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Text
Identifier: vital:8080 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012914
Description: [From Editorial] Four of the five articles in this issue either deal explicitly with or refer to the effects of the AIDS epidemics in the authors' countries. The fifth paper deals with late-life chronic diseases of life-style. In the first paper, Akinsola examines effects of the epidemic on older Batswana and evaluates the effectiveness of his country's Community Home-Based Care programme against the programme's objectives, with special reference to the situation of older persons as primary caregivers to PWAs and AIDS orphans. He concludes that the situation of older carers calls for strong and urgent policy action to assist this highly vulnerable and marginalized group in its critical and valuable role and function as carers. In her paper on the provision of housing and care for older persons in Zambia, Sichingabula considers implications of the anticipated increases in AIDS morbidity and mortality, in the form of an increased demand for formal housing and care by older Zambians in the face of diminished traditional support. Given effects of the country's Structural Adjustment Programme and the Zambian government's inability to expand provision of formal support for the older population, the author makes recommendations for initiatives which NGOs can undertake towards meeting the needs and improving the quality of life of older persons. Next, Shaibu examines the experiences of caregivers to older persons in Botswana within a context of pervasive, abject poverty and multiple, unmet basic needs. The author notes how the HIV I AIDS epidemic, in addition to other social forces, impacts family structures and the capacity of Batswana to care for older relatives. In their paper, authors Patel, Steyn, Charlton, Bourne, Laubscher, Fourie and Jooste describe the risk-factor profile for chronic diseases of life-style, such as hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and obesity, in the older black population of Cape Town and compare it with risk profiles in other South African ethnic groups. The authors note that although the study population is still at low risk of cardiovascular disease - for example, demographic changes, including urbanisation and the adoption of urban life-styles, are likely to lead to an increase in chronic morbidity in future older cohorts in this population. In a second paper, Sichingabula assesses the physical and social environment of Divine Providence Home, a residential care facility for destitute older persons in Lusaka, Zambia. She draws practitioners' attention to the prudence of incorporating design features in facilities built for older persons which enhance the users' mobility, independence and quality of life. She also highlights a lack of social stimulation and the inactivity of the residents at the home. The author makes the point that given an anticipated increased demand for admission to residential care facilities as a result of AIDS-related deaths and loss of traditional support for older persons, living environments in these facilities must be optimized. In sum, the AIDS-related research papers in this number highlight a need to identify and to strengthen social and care systems which can assist older persons in Africa, as traditional systems are increasingly affected by demographic forces, particularly the effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemics. Finally, Moller reviews a recent, landmark Help Age International report (1999), which is a compilation of 15 papers on ageing in developing countries and challenges facing research, policy and practice.
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